Workers' Homes Scheme in Auckland.

Progress, Volume XIV, Issue 5, 1 January 1919, Page 406

Workers' Homes Scheme in Auckland.

City Sanitary Housing

The scheme outlined for Auckland takes a more practical form, as an estimate from the City Engineer for the erection of a number of houses was actually discussed. The scheme is for the purpose of providing modern sanitary dwellings for workers at reasonable rentals and of eradicating the slum conditions that exist in certain city localities, and was introduced by the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, at the last meeting of the City Council. As the result of the adoption at the last meeting of the Mayor’s recommendation that the ratepayers be requested to authorise a loan of £250,000 for the scheme, reports were received from the Mayor and the City Engineer in regard to the carrying out of the proposals. The Mayor’s report stated that in the event of the Council adopting the policy of municipal housing, it was recommended that modern workers’ homes should be erected on the old abattoirs site at Grey Lynn. The erection of new houses should be undertaken before any attempt was made to dispossess people at present occupying undesirable houses, so that additional accommodation would be available for those persons when their present dwellings were demolished. Regarding the matter of authority for undertaking the scheme, the Mayor stated that the Council had power to proceed with

the scheme without submitting proposals to the ratepayers. In view of the extensive nature of the proposals, however, he recommended submitting rhem to the ratepayers.

The Financial Aspect. Commenting on the financial aspect of the scheme, Mr. Gunson said it could not be expected from the outset to entirely pay its way, but he expressed the opinion that if handled in a businesslike manner the undertaking would eventually prove self-supporting. There would be two sources of revenue, viz., rentals or receipts in other forms from tenants, and the returns from the sale of surplus properties that would be acquired in the present slum areas, but not utilised for house sites. After the areas had been treated, a portion of the land would be available for factory and other business sites. Thus a portion of it might be expected to become more valuable as a result of improvements and realise a price above its value on acquirement. A substantial amount of the land, however, would be required for remodelling, and therefore lost from a financial point of view. In regard to the mat, of tenancy, the report states that there are two courses which may be considered, viz., weekly tenancy, and the lease of the land on the Glasgow principle with the sale of improvements. The question of rentals was important, and if possible the rentals for the tenants for whom the houses would be provided should not exceed, 12s. 6d. or 15s. a week. This matter would require careful determination. The Glasgow lease meant in effect that the occupants would acquire their own homes. This could probably be arranged under a system of weekly payments extending over a lengthy period. The City Engineer’s estimates for providing dwellings on the old abattoir site, and for dealing with two areas containing undesirable houses amounted to £165,850, leaving a balance of £84,150 out of the total of £250,000 proposed to be raised. The Council was recommended to adopt the full policy involving the total of £250,000, as rapid expansion of the city was anticipated, and it was desirable to deal with the question in a comprehensive manner. When the proposals were originally submitted they were termed “a progressive housing scheme.” This Avas intended to imply that the scheme would extend over a number of years, the first instalment of which was recommended to be the building on the old abattoir site.

Consideration of Reports. After the presentation of the reports, the Mayor said that the scheme could not be further proceeded with until after the holiday recess, and he thought a' poll on the proposal to raise £250,000 could not he taken before next March. Members should very carefully consider the reports in the meantime.* Mr. A. J. Entrican moved that the Mayor’s report, together with Iris report of November 28th, and officers’ reports, be referred to the Council in Committee for consideration at a date to be fixed. He expressed the opinion that a “do nothing” policy was a wrong one, and the Council should do

something to assist in the housing of workers. He did not think it was necessary for the Council to go outside its own properties in carrying out the scheme. He thought the Council should, in some way, be subsidised by the State. If the Government assisted the Council to get cheap money, he did not think the scheme would cost the ratepayers anything. He was opposed to letting houses erected by the Council. The central idea was to assist the workers to own their own homes. Seconding the motion, Mr. W. J. Holdsworth. said there was a good deal of preparatory work to be done before they could go on with the scheme. The question whether it was fair to tax ratepayers to provide homes for somebody else when many were hard put to it to pay off their own homes, was a matter which should receive careful attention. The motion was carried without further discussion.

The City Engineer’s Report. The report of the City Engineer, Mr. W. E. Bush, on the development of a housing scheme, in accordance with the policy outlined by the Mayor, was prefaced by the statement that the improvement of housing conditions can be classed under three headings: (1) The putting into thorough repair and sanitary condition of existing houses and their surroundings; (2) the erection of new houses of suitable, design, sound construction, and in attractive surroundings on land not at present occupied by buildings; (3) the demolition of houses which by reason of their ruinous and insanitary condition, inadequate accommodation, unsuitable location or layout, require removal in the interest of the health of their inmates and the general progress of the city. In regard to the first of these, it was stated that the policy need not involve the Council in anything but mere administrative expenditure, but would require larger power to be vested in the Council, as indicated by the City Solicitor’s report. The report reviewed briefly hat had been done by many of the leading municipalities in Great Britain in regard to the improvement of slum areas. Similar procedure in Auckland -was only possible to a very limited extent, for the reason that whereas in England the houses were of brick, in Auckland they were timber erections.

Sites for Seventy-nine Houses. The report recommended that first consideration should be given to the erection of dwellings on land unoccupied by buildings, and suggested utilising the old abattoir site, containing about 67 acres, at Grey Lynn for the purpose. Sites for 79 houses, all complying with the Municipal Corporations Act, and the Council’s by-laws regarding frontage and area, had been laid out. Other sites were available on the property,, one area being that fronting the Great North Road, but in view of the intention to ultimately lay out the greater portion of the property as a public park, it might not be desirable to alienate this frontage for building purposes. The report —“The site has these advantages: It is some 140 ft. above sea level; it fronts a

a road 90ft. wide; it backs on to what will be a public park it commands an uninterrupted view of the Waitakere Ranges and upper reaches of the harbour; it is easily drained, is essentially a healthy site, is within easy distance of two recently-built public schools, and is immediately available for development. Its distance from the Town Hall is 2| miles, and half a mile from the 2d. section of the tramway, and it borders on a well-populated area. The class of dwelling to be erected on this site must either be detached or semi-detached on account of the minimum frontage of 40ft. If the houses arc to be let with the idea of their .ultimate purchase by the tenants, then, obviously, the detached type, although more expensive, is the better to adopt. If the Council intends to retain its ownership of the houses, 1 would recommend the twostorey, semi-detached type for general adoption, as being less expensive in first cost, and more attraclive in appearance."

Cost of the Dwellings. In regard to material and construction, brick or concrete are recommended, both for external and internal walls, the houses to be two-storey detached or semi-detached buildings of four and five rooms with all modern conveniences. The estimated prices range from £475 for semi-detached four-roomed houses to £6lO for detached five-roomed dwellings. In regard to the demolition of houses on account of their ruinous and insanitary condition, the report states that before this work is attempted new dwellings must be provided to accommodate those who will be disturbed by the carrying out of this part of the . scheme. The area proposed to be cleared and remodelled is not specified, but plans have been prepared for a city area to be dealt with. The report states that in this locality it 's possible to erect 105 houses' on the semi-detached principle, which is advocated in preference to terraces. The cost of land and reading in this area is estimated at £250 per house, and the scheme could be carried out in portions so as to dispossess as few .people ft a time as possible. Reference is made to the desirability of dealing with other unspecified localities, including certain gully areas which it is considered . advisable should be converted into open spaces or reserves. The Engineer’s estimate for the erection of 79 houses on the old abattoir site, including reading and sewers, is £46,350; for the erection of 105 houses in the city area No. 1, including land and reading, £87,500; and for 40 houses on city area No. 2, including land and reading, £32,000, making a. total of £165,850.